For Immediate Release – February 14, 2016 Contact: Steven Edwards sce@SymphonyChorus.org

Carl Orff

Carmina Burana 7:30PM, Wednesday, April 5

Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall - Loyola University - 6363 St Charles Ave. Presented by SYMPHONY CHORUS OF NEW ORLEANS

It's spring! – the topic of some of the loveliest songs in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Other songs are about love, sex, gambling, and the uncertainty of fortune. You can hear it at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at Loyola University's Roussel Hall. Symphony Chorus of New Orleans is performing the composer’s own version for two pianos, and percussion. Guest artists include baritone André Chiang, soprano Donna Lee and the New Orleans Boys' Choir. Written in 1936, Carmina Burana is the most frequently performed choral work of the 20th century and one of the most popular pieces in the entire classical repertory. In addition to its ubiquity in the concert hall, the work has achieved “crossover” status: excerpts have been widely used in movie trailers and television commercials throughout the world. Portions of the work are heard in films ranging from Excalibur to Natural Born Killers to Jackass. Orff subtitled his exuberant, hour-long oratorio "Cantiones profanae, cantoribus et choris cantandae, comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis," or "Secular songs for singers and choruses accompanied by instruments and magical images," enticing listeners with the prospect of an extraordinary concert experience.

The first part of the concert will also include Dan Forrest’s Three Nocturnes (2008). The work sets three poems about stars which all express a sense of wonder at the night sky: I. Stars (Sara Teasdale), II. Lightly Stepped a Yellow Star (Emily Dickinson), and III. …Thou Motive of the Stars (Walt Whitman). Like the Orff Carmina Burana, the work is scored for mixed chorus, piano, and percussion ensemble. Dan Forrest (b. 1978) has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music….that is truly magical” (NY Concert Review), with works hailed as “magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (Classical Voice), and “superb writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). Tickets start at $25; they're available at the door or at www.Symphonychorus.org. Symphony Chorus of New Orleans is a 501c3, non-profit, volunteer chorus of approximately 80 singing members. The mission of SCNO is “making a difference in the lives of our singers, our audience, and our community through the power and beauty of choral singing.” Online ticket purchasing and information about SCNO’s 2016-2017 season are available at www.SymphonyChorus.org .

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